Flux applying fixture



Nov. 20, 1962 w. c. GOTHE ETAL 3,064,607

FLUX APPLYING FIXTURE Filed July 21, 19 58 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 LuasuTHE' JLlH/NKLE' W. C. GOTHE ETAL FLUX APPLYING FIXTURE Nov. 20, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 21, 1958 .ZR/ VEN U E LU. CI EU THE J. flH/NK LE T'TUQNE'H v NOV. 20, 1962 w, c. GOTHE ETAL 1 3,064,607

FLUX APPLYING FIXTURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 21, 1958 .aa FIT 5L5 Unite Patented Nov, 20, 1952 York Filed July 21, 1958, Sen-No. 749,985 3 Claims. (Cl. 113-95) This invention relates to material dispensing units particularly units for use in combination with article feeding apparatus to dispense quantities of material thereon.

In the manufacture of certain types of articles parts thereof are to receive deposits of quantities of materials. As an example in the manufacture of transistors, as shown in the co-pending application of R. C. Shafer, Serial No. 745,388, filed June 30, 1958, a metallic ribbon is advanced intermittently in a given path relative to a pair of grippers disposed at a feeding station to hold successive lengths of the ribbon, while the lengths are cut therefrom, and move the lengths of the ribbon into holders which are moved intermittently into the feeding station. The metallic ribbons fed to'the holders are to receive deposits of solder at like spaced portions at a subsequent station so that later, when portions are severed from each ribbon between the solder deposits and the ribbon portions carrying the solder deposits me bent 'into'parallel planes, the transistor bars in each instance may have their ends soldered to the ribbon portions which then serve as conductor leads for the transistor bar. Prior to placing the deposits of solder at the predetermined portions of each ribbon it is desirable to deposit quantities of flux on these portions.

The object of the present invention is a dispensing unit operable erTiciently to 'apply a quantity of material to an article during processing of the article.

In accordance with the object, the invention includes a dispensing unit which may be used in combination with an apparatus for feeding lengths of material singly to successive holders, companion grippers being actuable to grip the successive lengths of material cut from a supply of material, and an applicator of the unit mounted for movement with one of the grippers to deposit a quantity of liquid on each length of material.

More specifically, a receptacle for a coating liquid is mounted directly upon the upper gripper and includes a pair of applicators having passageways leading from the receptacle to outlets therefor, and valves disposed in the passageways with projections extending therethrough to engage the successive ribbons to open the valves and permit measured quantities of the liquid to be deposited at like locations on each ribbon.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the feeding apparatus embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional View taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the dispensing unit on the upper gripper, portions being shown in cross section;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 3;

P16. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 55 of PEG. 4, and

Fl-G. 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of one of applicators with the valve thereof opened by the ribbon.

In the present instance the feeding apparatus, with which the dispensing unit functions, is identical in every detail to the apparatus shown in the co-pending application of S. Kuba, Serial No. 7503936, filed July 24, 1958,

with the exception of the feeding grippers and the dispensing unit. The feeding apparatus indicated generally at 1:) is mounted at a feeding station with respect to a turret lit-which is moved intermittently about its axis to present parallel pairs of holders l2 successively to the feeding station. The holders 12 in each pair include a stationary jaw 14 and a movable jaw 15, the movable jaw being urged normally into closed position but will be opened at the feeding station by projections 16 engaging plungers 17 of the movable jaws to move the upper jaw 35 free of the lower jaws to receive the ends of material such as metallic ribbons of predetermined lengths. The plungers 16 are mounted on a lever i8 pivoted at '19 and operated by a cam working against its follower 2%.

A metallic ribbon 22 is adapted to be advanced longitudinally a given distance by feeding jaws 2.3 actuated during their reciprocable movements on the slide 24 which is under the control of a cam 25 and cam lever 25. Cutters 217 are actuated to cut the lengths from the ribbon to produce ribbons of the predetermined lengths to be fed to ,the holders l2.

' Grippers 3i and 31 are pivotally mounted at 32 and 33 on a carriage 34, and normally urged about their pivots by a spring 35. The carriage 34 is urged into its normal position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 by a spring 37 and under the control of a cam 43 acting on a cam follower or rollers 45 supported by an arm 46 of the carriage 3-4. The con tour of the cam 53 is such that two forward movements and one reverse movement are imparted to the carriage 34. The first forward movement is to position the open grippers 3d and 31 to receive the ribbon while being held by the feeding jaws and to close on the ribbon prior to the ribbon being cut by the cutters 27. The second forward movement of the carriage 34 moves the closed grippers 3i} and 31 with the ribbon to the holders 1?. to position the ends of the ribbon in the holders. A drum-like connecting member 36 causes pivotal movement of the upper gripper into open and closed positions with movement of the lower gripper into these positions. An element 3%, pivoted at 3 on the carriage 34, is under the control of a cam operated lever 49, actuable when plunger 41 is aligned with portion 42 of the lever, after a movement of the carriage 34 to move the grippers 3i? and 31 into their first positions to receive and grip the next ribbon. Actuation of the plunger 41 causes the element 38 to release the grippers Ital and 31 to bring about gripping of the ribbon and actuation of tie dispenser unit as will hereinafter be described. A plunger id movable with the carriage 34 will be aligned with the portion 42 of the cam lever id when the grippers 3i; and 31 have moved the ribbon into the open holders in the present instance, the upper gripper 31 has been modified extensively to receive a housing 59 which is mounted upon the forward end of the gripper 31 and has outer apertures 51 therein for receiving spring pressed plungers 52 which cooperate with the lower gripper 39 to grip the successive ribbons 22. The housing also has a pair of apertures 55 therein for receiving parallel applicators 56 which extend downwardly from a receptacle 57 for a liquid 53 such as a suitable flux. The receptacle 53 has a bracket 59 fixed to one side thereof, the lower portion of the bracket being bifurcated by a vertical slot 68 for mounting the receptacle adjustably at 61 on the housing 54 This adjustable mounting of the receptacle, with the applicators 5'6 disposed in the apertures 55' of the housing serves to adjust the positions of out lets 62 of the applicators with respect to the normal lower ends of the spring pressed plungers 52 to assure engagement of outlets with the ribbons 22 when the gripers 3i} and 31 are closed.

The applicators 56 have passageways 65' therethroug'n, the upper first portions which communicate with the re- 3 ceptacle 57 being much larger in cross-sectional contour than the lower second portions which extend through lower outlet portions to the outlets 62. alves 66 are disposed in the passageways 65, the larger portions of the valves substantially filling the larger portions of the passageways, permitting however free sliding movement of the valves in the passageways and having spaced vertical grooves 67 to permit the liquid 58 to feed downwardly therethrough into the smaller portion of the passageway in each applicator when the valve is Open. An upper projection or handle 69, fixed to each valve, permits manual opening of either valve. Projections or actuators 79 of the valves extend normally through the outlets 62 so as to engage each ribbon in advance of the spring pressed plungers 52 to open the valve and permit measured quantities of the liquid to be deposited at each position on the ribbon. The conical portion of each passageway 65 between the upper and lower portions thereof are valve seats for the conical portion of the valves.

' Operation During operation of the feeding apparatus the ribbon 22 is advanced a given length by the feeding jaws 23 at a position between the grippers 3t) and 31 and the holders 12. The feeding jaws will hold the leading end of the advanced portion of the ribbon until it is gripped by the grippers 3t and 31 and severed by the cutters 27. The dispensing unit is mounted upon the upper gripper 31 and functions during feeding of each ribbon to the holders, present at the feeding station between intermittent movements of the turret. Two forward movements are imparted to the carriage, 34 and to the grippers 30-31. The first movement is to position the open grippers in registration with a ribbon and, while at rest after this first movement, the grippers are caused to close on the ribbon. During the action of closing the grippers on the ribbon the grippers are moved simultaneously toward the I ribbon and it may be described that the lower gripper meets the under surface at approximately the same time the lower ends of the plungers 52 meet the upper surface of the ribbon. However, this does not complete the action of the closing of the grippers in that the plungers 52 are compressed to allow movement of the outlets 62 of the applicators 56 into engagement with like spaced portions of each ribbon. Prior to the outlet lengaging the ribbon held by the grippers 3i and 31 the projections 7% of each valve 66, moving in advance of the outlets, will engage the ribbon and result in opening their respective valves to allow quantities of the liquid 58 to move downwardly into each passageway of the applicators to replace the quantities of the liquid deposited upon the ribbon. V

The surface tension existing between the quantities of the liquid, brought into engagement with the ribbon by the outlets of each applicator, and the ribbon will cause these quantities of liquid to remain upon the ribbon. Also the surface tension existing, in each of the smaller portions of the passageways 65 and around the projections 70 will prevent the liquid in each of the lower portions of the passageways from flowing therefrom until the valves are open, which occurs only when the outlets lie on the ribbon. While the outlets of the applicators lie on the ribbon measured quantities of the liquid are being deposited on the predetermined portions of the ribbon, these quantities of liquid being measured by the area between the wall of the outlet and the outer periphery of its plunger 79. While each valve 66 is open, liquid in the passageways 67 extending from the upper ends of the valves disposed in or adjacent the receptacle and main closed during the second feeding motion to feed the ribbon to the holders at the feeding station after which 4 the grippers will be open to release the ribbon, to move the applicators free of the ribbon and to allow the valves to drop upon their seats and become closed during the return movement of the grippers 30 and 31 to their starting position. v

it is to be understood that the above described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the'art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with an apparatus for feeding ribbons singly to successive holders and including com panion upper and lower grippers actuable between open and closed positions for gripping the successive ribbons and movable when closed on the ribbons to move the ribbons laterally to the holders, of a liquid dispenser having a receptacle for a liquid, a chamber having an upper portion with an open upper end and a lower outlet portion with a reduced lower end, the chamber being smaller in cross-section than the receptacle with its open upper end fixed to the receptacle, positioned to receive the liquid from the receptacle and having a straight first passageway extending downwardly therefrom to the outlet portion and a straight second passageway smaller in cross section than the first passageway extending downwardly from the first passageway through the outlet portion including an outlet at the lower end of the outlet portion, a valve seat interposed between the first and second passageways in the chamber, means to mount the dispenser on the upper gripper and position the outlet to engage like portions of each ribbon when the grippers are in their closed positions, a valve movably disposed in the chamber and normally resting on the valve seat to closeconnections between the first and second passageways until the valve is raised,

and an elongated actuator smaller in cross-section than the second passageway extending "longitudinally therethrough from the valve to which the upper end of the actuator is secured to a position beyond the outlet where the lower end of the outlet is-located when thevalve is seated, the passageways being filled with the liquid and the liquid in the second passageway'around the actuator being held therein by surface tension until a quantity thereof in the outlet engages the ribbon at which time that portion will be held by surface tension on the ribbon during movement of the grippers to move the ribbon to the holders and during movement of the dispenser away from the ribbon. V

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which the valve has a portion of a size'and contour to substantially fill the first passageway and having a vertical groove in the periphery thereof for the passage of a quantity of liquid from the receptacle through the first passageway and into the second passageway when the valve is open to successively add to the liquid in second passageway quantities of liquid equaling the quantities of liquid deposited on the successive ribbons.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 in which a spring-pressed plunger is mounted on the upper gripper and movable therewith in advance of the outlet to cooperate with the lower jaw in gripping the ribbon in advance of the outlet into contact with the ribbon.

References Cited in the file of this patent Great Britain I an. 29,1934 7 

